Cryptic clues are too hard! It is a common assertion by crossword enthusiasts that cryptic clues are much harder than conventional clues to solve. However once the nature of cryptic clues is understood, the opposite should in fact be the case.

Cryptic Strategies
1. Anagrams
Many cryptic clues include an anagram (words using same letters as answer). These types of clue will often use words such as 'for', 'are', 'produce' and the like to link the anagram to the meaning of the word that is the answer. For example 'limp sets are the easiest'. The answer is 'simplest'. In the case of a conventional clue which possibly would be 'easiest' the answer must be guessed from existing word familiarity. Answers could be 'lightest', 'plainest', 'simplest' or possibly something else. With the cryptic clue however, the answer lies in the anagram 'limp sets' which means the answer can only be 'SIMPLEST'. The cryptic clue gives much more help in finding the solution.
2. Answer Included in Clue
Sometimes the answer is actually embedded in the clue. These clues will mostly have words like 'in', 'included', 'present'. For example slackened in please dont' includes the letters 'ease' at end of 'please' and 'd' at start of 'dont' together make 'EASED' which is the answer, meaning 'slackened'.
3. Abbreviated Words
Words like 'little', 'short', 'first', 'last' and 'mid' generally point to abbreviations of the word that follows. These strategies may be used singularly or in combination in a single clue. 'Dan and little Ruffus first did not have dead skin on scalp' is a complex clue using abbreviated words to form an anagram to provide the answer. First look for what actually describes the answer which most likely is 'dead skin on scalp'. The 'and' in 'Dan and' implies that we need letters 'dan' plus more. 'little Ruffus' indicates that part of 'Ruffus' is required. 'first did' means first letter of 'did'. So it is now known that letters 'dand' are required. It is known that answer is eight letters, so we need four letters from part of 'Ruffus'. Not much consideration is required to see that 'ruff' with 'dand' results in 'DANDRUFF'.
4. Puzzle Within a Puzzle
It is not uncommon to need to solve a puzzle within the clue before the clue can be solved. 'the English to a T tread heavily' is such a clue. First another word for 'the English' is required. The answer to the whole clue is only five letters long. Hopefully you will eventually come up with 'poms'. 'to a T' indicates that letter 'T' is also required to complete the anagram with answer 'STOMP'.
5. 'we hear'
Words or phrases that sound alike but are spelt differently and have different meanings are used quite regularly. These clues invariably include phrases like 'we hear' or 'I hear'. 'I saw something offensive to view I heard' is an example. 'I saw' sounds the same as 'eye sore' - the answer being 'EYESORE'. 'see about it we hear to quote or refer to' is in a similar vein. 'about' generally indicates the the word following is embedded within the word preceding 'about'. Place 'it' after 's' of 'see' and we get 'site' after dropping off the last 'e'. Now applying 'we hear' the answer is 'CITE' which means 'to quote or refer to'.
6. Same Word with Different Meaning
An answer where different meanings for the same word exist are often used as a clue.'to stop by the roadside we hear' is a sample. 'Curb' means to stop and 'kerb' is 'by the roadside'. 'We hear' links these two words with 'KERB' being the eventual answer.
7. 'in', 'not quite', 'part' etc
'Not quite sick in two years but greasy'. This has multiple attributes to be resolved. First, 'sick' can be ILL. 'Not quite' indicates that not all of the letters are used. So now we have IL. 'In two years' means that what we have so far needs to be placed between words 'two' and 'years', ie twoILyears. Now use last letter of twO, add IL then first letter of Years to get OILY.
8. Use first letter of words
Sometimes the first letter of clue words are used either in sequence or part of an anagram to solve the clue. 'Able bodied in opposite directions grabs the answer'. Take AB from 'able bodied'. 'opposite directions' can be resolved to north and south. Now use AB with NS to form NABS which means GRABS.
9. The Very Cryptic Clue
'Oh its very cold you say!!!!'. What do you say when it is very cold? 'BRRR' (the answer). You are on your own with these.

Strategy for Solving Cryptic Clues
Look through the clues and try to identify where the clues fit into the examples above. Try to solve those that are clearly anagrams. If you cannot resolve the anagram unaided, you may take advantage of the anagram solver. Hopefully you will now have some words pencilled in. Using known letters for remaining clues get answers where possible using the information above. Finally when all other avenues have been exhausted, use the word finder provided to solve the rest of the clues.